Repair Café

PPLD's Repair Café is a neighborhood initiative that promotes repair as an alternative to tossing things out. At a Repair Café you’ll find the tools and materials needed to repair your broken items, as well as knowledgeable volunteers who will show you how to do it. Repair Trainers will offer a diagnosis and suggested remedy for broken items, repairing items when possible and otherwise explaining what parts you may need to obtain to complete the repair.

The Repair Café exists to show how much fun repairing things can be, and how easy it often is. Why don’t you give it a go?

Volunteers offer no guarantee of items being repaired made by them or with their assistance, and are not liable if objects repaired do not work properly at home. Volunteers are not obliged to reassemble disassembled appliances that cannot be repaired.

Disclaimer: Please know you bring your items to be repaired at your own risk. Because repairs are made by unpaid volunteers there may be risks. Neither the facilitators of Repair Cafés nor the repair volunteers are liable for any loss or damage that may result from advice or instructions, for the loss of items handed over for repair, for indirect or consequential loss, or for any other kind of loss resulting from repairs made by Repair Café.

Get Involved!

Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge with others? Can you…

Repair tires, chains, or brakes for bikes?

Mend, hem, or patch clothing?

Test, dismantle, or fix small appliances?

Assess, disassemble, or possibly repair electronics?

Fix wobbly furniture or other wooden objects?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, help your local community by becoming a Repair Trainer!

Comments

Hello -
I am the organizer for the Repair Café at the Manitou Art Center in Manitou Springs. I see that your first event is this weekend, and am afraid I plan to be out of town, but would still like to meet with you organizer to see if we can share resources and ideas. Our first event is Sunday, July 17.

Hi Lisa,
We will have a volunteer there who can fix many issues with furniture. Are you asking if we will have someone there to help bring your piece inside to the library? Please contact us directly at RepairCafe@ppld.org to address this concern. Thanks!

Hello, I would like to know if Repair Cafe might have machines such as reflow ovens, preheaters, and heat guns to repair smd type computer circuit boards. I would like to learn how to use these tools to make my own repairs.

Thanks for your interest in the PPLD Repair Café. Our tools and equipment serve a broad variety of applications, but primarily focus on repairs for small appliances and electronics, textiles, and wooden furniture. Because of this, we do not currently carry reflow ovens, preheaters, or heat guns. However, we will consult with our Repair Trainers to see if these items may be useful for future Repair Café events. If you have additional questions, please contact the Repair Café team directly at RepairCafe@ppld.org.

The electronics repair equipment I mentioned is exactly what is necessary for repair of modern electronic equipment and is not especially expensive or difficult to obtain. A suitable open-source reflow oven kit can be purchased for approx. $200, and a combination heat gun/preheat station might sell for approx $125. However, there might be an issue with the amount of demand for such equipment because the work can be microscopic and require steady hands.

I have a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer that accidentally tipped over when I tried to move it off of my counter. The beater now hits the side of the bowl wearing the covering off the beater and the locking mechanism is loose and does not lock correctly. Do you have someone who can help me fix a problem like this and can I go to any of your different events to see if I can repair this? Also, is there a fee or registration/reservation required?

Thanks for your interest in the PPLD Repair Cafe. The Repair Cafe is a free event, and no registration is required to participate.

I'm not sure if our Repair Trainers can fix your Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, because they will have to take a look at it to determine the extent of the damage. But I do encourage you to bring it in to the next Repair Cafe event so they can inspect the item and then either suggest possible solutions, or fix it.

If you have additional questions, please contact the Repair Café team directly at RepairCafe@ppld.org.

Disclaimer:
PPLD is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-PPLD websites, programs, and events. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these resources and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.